England: 15th century images

England: history of the pipe and tabor

the 15^th century

under construction

gallery contents

15th century 'Boke of Astronomy and off Philosophye'
fol 031v

playing for dancing

source

A contemporary dancing master wrote:
"Have four or five kinds of instruments play, such as shawms, organs, lute, harp, pipe and tabor"

flute and drum duo

At the same time as the pipe and tabor played by one person was in use, the duo of flute player and drummer
was also used in armies in Europe. In the 1400s the Swiss military used flute and drum as a means of communication
and to help their soldiers on long marches. Their presence on the battlefield and playing for court entertainments
can be documented from around 1470, The Germans adopted this military music.

1489 Fife and Drum
“4 June 1489 at the banquet for the baptism of Antoine, the eldest of the sons of René II of Lorraine,
music was performed by "tambours, fifres et trompettes".

1450-1475 Germany page 36r

1492 an “entry in the Privy Purse expenses of Henry VII,
who, in 1492, gave to
"2 Sweches grete taborers" the sum of £2.
- foreign labour imported by either royalty or nobility”